Galen VI is an Imperial Frontier World that was located in the Galen System within the Badab Sector of the Segmentum Ultima. During the Badab War, the isolated Galen System was a prize fought over repeatedly and between the Loyalist and Secessionist forces and which changed hands several times over a period of six years from 904.M41 to 910.M41. In 910.M41, under the direct command of Lord High CommanderCarab Culln of the Red ScorpionsChapter, the Magister Militum or supreme commander of the Loyalist Space Marine forces, the Galen System was brought back under Imperial control and any hope of future resistance was crushed. This task was assigned to the ruthless and taciturn Sons of Medusa Chapter. Through the application of a brilliant strategy and the use of psychological warfare, the Sons of Medusa were able to bring the world of Galen VI back into the Emperor's fold in only a matter of days. Galen VI's population would ultimately be condemned to generations of indentured servitude by the Inquisition for their betrayal of the Emperor.

A Departmento Cartographicae map of the Maelstrom Zone showing the location of Galen VI

Despite its inhospitable environment, Galen VI had been a home to human settlers for more than three millennia since first being settled in the 38th Millennium, and its native population had proved itself to be extremely hardy, self-sufficient and often fractious. Historically, control of Galen VI had rested in the hands of a number of shifting factions who had warred amongst themselves for control of the planet's limited industry, which revolved around the chemical extraction of various toxic metallic salts and chemical compounds from open cast mines and drift-flats for off-world export, and control over the scattered sources of clean food and water. Galen VI's principal center of settlement and industry, known as "Old City," remained the planet's de facto capital throughout its history due to its concentrated technological capacity and access to a significant subterranean water supply and purification facilities. Given Galen VI's history of civil conflict, frequent external attack and concentrated industrial base, much of the native population was judged to be combat effective.

During the Badab War, the isolated Galen System was a prize fought over repeatedly and between the Loyalist and Secessionist forces and which changed hands several times over a period of six years from 904.M41 to 910.M41. In 910.M41, the Loyalist forces' Magister Militum Carab Culln ordered the Loyalist forces diverted to impose order on Galen VI, crushing any hope of future resistance utterly. The Loyalists were accompanied by an Ordo Hereticus detachment under the command of Inquisitor Kramner, one of Legate-Inquisitor Frain's personal aides. The only stipulation for the Loyalist assault force was that the planet was to remain habitable and a sufficient core of the population and infrastructure was to be left intact to service the needs of the Imperium's war effort. Plans to retake the world were then calculated under the direction of the Sons of Medusa Chapter's Iron Thane Vaylund Cal who was assigned as the theatre commander. The Sons of Medusa launched an orbital bombardment to clear 3 predetermined landing zones on the outskirts of the Old City. Once the landing zones had been cleared, they unleashed three company-strength forces that destroyed all remaining resistance.

The Old City was firmly in the hands of the Imperium within 56 hours of the commencement of the Sons of Medusa's attack. News of the assault on Old City soon spread across Galen VI and a shroud of terror descended upon the planet. Millions of native Galenians and other Secessionist refugees from the Maelstrom Zone who had taken sanctuary on the world surrendered to the Sons of Medusa, even though to do so was a death sentence for treason at the hands of the Inquisition. They preferred to face the Inquisition's tender mercies than live in fear of what was to come. Inquisitor Taria Shard, the Imperial official who had been put in command of the Imperium's prior administration of the world before its most recent fall to the Secessionists, survived the assault, but had been terribly wounded by a bomb-blast. Her life was preserved by her faithful coterie of Acolytes, and she was returned to Inquisitor Kramner. Once restored by the ministrations of the Sons of Medusa's Techmarines, she was placed in charge of court proceedings, and her judgments proved both swift and final. Soon the ruins of Old City were re-purposed and rebuilt as an internment and processing centre to handle Galen VI's population.

Overall, the Galen VI Campaign was considered a success. Although much of the population of Old City had been slain, the total death toll was considered light compared to that which would have resulted from a lengthy planet-wide campaign of attrition. In an unusual outcome, the Ordo Hereticus proved merciful, indenturing the majority of the planet's population into a lifetime of penal servitude to pay for their crimes and transgressions against the Emperor. As a result, the Departmento Munitorum raised a number of fresh Penal Legions from the most hardened elements found on the world, while the rest of the populations was set to toil on Galen VI itself or deported elsewhere within the Maelstrom Zone to aid the Imperial reconstruction effort. The last detachment of the Sons of Medusa departed Galen VI shortly after the end of the Inquisition's trials, leaving Galen VI as a veritable prison world whose population would pay for their crimes against the Imperium for generations.

The population of Galen VI in 909.M41 was estimated to be 23 million indigenous human-Imperials. A refugee influx from across the Maelstrom Zone led to an estimated increase of 230% that fell rapidly after the end of the war. The presence of this large-scale refugee influx during the Badab War terminally over-stretched Galen VI's already meager infrastructural resources.

Tithe Grade:Exactus Nil (Previous to the Badab Conflict, Galen VI possessed established trade and support links with the Badab Sector and Surngraad)

Climate/Geography/Biosphere: Temperate to hot, planetary biosphere inhospitable, registering on lower quotient of ability to support unassisted human life. Local minor fauna and flora species only, adaptation to high level of metallic toxins in the environment make them unsuitable for use as food-base without extensive reprocessing. This factor along with environmental hardships such as the arid climate and ground toxicity due to a high level of heavy metals in the planetary crust has stunted the development of the planetary population.

Governmental Type: Before the Badab War, Galen VI was ruled by a paramilitary oligarchy with a semi-feudal base. Various Imperial/Secessionist governors in place during conflict.

Planetary Governor: Unknown

Adepta Presence: As of 909.M41, Galen VI played host to an Adeptus Arbites Reformation Battalion, an Adeptus Ministorum Canticle, a Departmento Munitorum Provender Extraction Work Division, an Inquisitorial Garrison and an Inquiry Task Force. Overall command of these Imperial forces was given to Inquisitor Taria Shard of the Ordo Hereticus

Military: As of 909.M41, the Imperial garrison of Galen VI comprised the 11th Markgraf Light Infantry Regiment, and the 234th, 456th and 33rd Volk-Progenium Storm Trooper Regiments that were assigned to the Inquisitorial taskforce.